


Borrowing at the Sanders' House

by Pink_Aesthetic



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Borrowers, Alternate Universe - Human, Established Relationship, G/T, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), I literally have no clue what to tag this, Lamp - Freeform, Married Sides (Sanders Sides), Multi, POV First Person, Panic Attacks, Self-Insert, focuses more on Peter and the sides then the sides relationship, self-indulgent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-12-29 23:52:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18304067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pink_Aesthetic/pseuds/Pink_Aesthetic
Summary: The journey of one borrower slowly and accidentally revealing themself to the four married men of the house. They are going through kind of a crisis right now. (Rated for cursing, mentions of death/killing, and panic attacks)





	1. Defeated by a tomato.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Borrowers know better than to sit out in the open, it's a good way to get seen... or caught.

In the past year I had gotten greedy, which was something I had openly admitted before, but I could never fully blame it on myself. It had to be the humans’ fault. They were the ones that made borrowing so easy.

At first, the surplus of food that was left on counters was a blessing. The previous owners of the house kept near everything under lock and key and I would be lucky to get some bread crumbs for the day, but the new owners, four lovely gay men, left fruit and crackers and many other things on the counter each day. The reason because the one named Virgil worked from home and the other three made sure that he had something to snack on if he didn’t feel like making a legitimate lunch. Not that it mattered much to me, all that mattered was the fact that there was plate of food on the counter almost everyday and Virgil often wouldn’t leave his office for hours. 

Then I found the hidden snack stash under the bed: cookies, a bag of pretzels, and lots of candy. That is when greed started kicking in. Borrowers were only supposed to borrow what they needed to live or what wouldn’t be missed and when you had a constant food supply there was no need to take more than you need. I, however, could not resist the temptation of the rarity of sugar filled treats. So I would not only steal from Virgil’s plate in the kitchen, but the secret snacks. 

I was probably the most well fed borrower in all the world.

The four had a schedule, that I had memorized within the first few weeks, but it was a flexible one. The only one to keep it up almost with one hundred percent consistency was Logan, who, despite his predictability, was the most danger to my existence. He was the most observant of the four and had found several of my holes in the walls, causing a need for me to make new ones more carefully hidden, as he would fix them immediately. He also once found a brand new hole that I had made and placed several mouse traps within the home. I didn’t go near the kitchen for a week in fear that even a single crumb out of place would give the teacher a reason to call an exterminator. 

Patton and Roman usually kept to the schedule, but they tended to come home in the afternoon at times to surprise Virgil with lunch or some other thing. Patton would also sometimes come home early. Though, despite the randomness, they weren’t very observant and failed to notice when I would take several things from their shared hidden stash. Along with that, they were loud. Hardly a threat.

Virgil, I would have thought, would cause more problems then he has, but somehow Virgil seemed to be the least observant of the four. He was near completely unpredictable and extremely quiet. There had been some close calls, but Virgil has yet to have spotted me. Not only that, but he never mentions whenever food goes missing and had convinced Logan to remove the mouse traps. Virgil, obviously, didn’t suspect anything. 

So…. I got kinda cocky. It had been a few hours since Logan, Roman and Patton had left to their workplaces and Virgil had been quietly typing away in his office all day. I peered out from the small hole behind the toaster oven and looked around the kitchen. The coast was clear. I ran over to the plate on the counter and pulled up the plastic wrap that kept the food protected. Today there was tomato slices with salt and pepper and there was no way I was going to put a watery slice of tomato into my backpack. 

I shifted from foot to foot, deciding on what to do. I really should have just waited for tomorrow, I could go one day without food, but I hadn’t done that in awhile and the only threat was Virgil. I looked around the kitchen once again and listened closely for any sound. There was nothing, so with some heitance, I carefully pulled a tomato slice in half and sat down next to the plate to eat it. 

“Y’know,” a voice spoke up and I shoot my head up towards the door. Virgil stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, “I thought borrowers were supposed to be masters of invisibility.”

I dropped the tomato and ran as fast as I could to the toaster oven, but in two long leaps Virgil beat me to it and shoved the appliance back, cutting off my exit. “Hold on, I want to talk to you.”

I froze. Oh god I was going to die. He’s going to kill me. He’s mad I ate his food and now he’s going to kill me. I’m too young to die. Jesus fuck, mom was right, I wasn’t ready to be by myself and now I’m going to die. 

“Woah, um, dude, I need you to breathe. In four seconds, hold seven seconds, and out eight seconds, can you do that?” Virgil asked.

I realized I was hyperventilating, which wasn’t helping the situation, so I tried to follow Virgil’s instructions as he continued to give them. I had heard the other’s ask him to do the same thing sometimes, so I guess he was trying to help me calm down. I was still absolutely terrified, however, just now I could breath.

“There we go,” Virgil sighed, “So, uh, what’s your name?”

I looked back to the toaster oven. Maybe if I ran fast enough I could squeeze behind there and escape. I could move back in with my mom, help raise my siblings for a few years and then find a new house. But, no, Virgil was too close and any escape attempt would probably result in me getting grabbed or smashed. Guess I actually have to speak if I want to live till tomorrow, “Peter.”


	2. Y'know what's more fun than following the Borrowing Code? Not following the Borrowing Code.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Borrower Code says that Peter has to leave and Peter is all packed to go! ...but um... he hasn't moved yet..

Virgil actually turned out to be pretty chill once we got into a conversation. And I turned out to be a worse borrower than I thought. Virgil had known about my existence for a few months now, he just rather doesn’t like confrontation. He said I wasn’t hurting anyone and I was only taking a small amount of the snacks he never fully finished anyway, so there was no point in stopping me. That is, until I got bad at borrowing and straight up didn’t know he was standing in the doorway till he spoke up. 

We talked for a little that first day. He told me he had known a borrower when he was a kid and knew the signs. I told him about Roman’s and Patton’s snack stash. We talked until it was getting close for Logan to get home. When he finally moved the toaster oven and I went back to my room in the walls I started packing. Borrower code after all. 

But I didn’t leave. I continued to borrower from Virgil’s plate, this time making extra sure to not be seen. My packed bag sitting in the middle of the room for a few days before I finally admitted to myself that I wasn’t actually going anywhere. 

So ten days after officially meeting Virgil, I went to go talk to him. 

I was never one for rules anyway.

I had only one hole in the office, as I didn’t need to go in there that much. It was placed behind an outlet, just a few feet away from the desk on the opposite wall. Virgil was typing away at the computer, facing away from the outlet and headphones over his ears. He didn’t see me climb out or hear the click of the outlet being placed back down. I ran across the floor to underneath his chair, knowing scooting along the walls had a more likely chance of him spotting me in the corner of his eye. When I was sure he wasn’t going to move or hadn’t seen me I ran between his feet and towards the back of the desk where the cord to the computer was plugged into the wall and began to climb

Virgil spotted me the moment my head peered over the edge and I couldn’t resist the impulse to duck away from his gaze. It took me a second to calm my breathing once again before I finished climbing up the cable, though I avoided looking directly at him to try to convince my brain that I wasn’t in immediate danger.

Virgil slowly pulled his headphones around his neck and push the computer screen down a bit, “Uh, hey?”

I took a shaky breath before replying, “Hey.”

“I, uh, didn’t think I’d be seeing you again,” Virgil said, “Especially didn’t think you’d come to me.”

I shrugged, staring at the desk, “Didn’t see a point in hiding if I wasn’t going to leave. Besides, it gets lonely in the walls.”

“Yeah?” Virgil questioned, leaning back against the chair.

“Yeah, no one but me, myself, and I. ’Could use a friend,” I answered, glancing up to judge his reaction.

A small smile appeared on his face, “I guess I could be friends with a pipsqueak like you.”

I stuck my tongue out at him as he laughed.


	3. Peter definitely won't get caught again.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ....Peter gets caught again.

It was a few weeks later and everything had been going surprisingly well. Virgil keeps his distance and allows me to approach when I’m comfortable, which has been getting easier and easier. 

And finally my days aren’t filled with waiting tension and boredom. Virgil and I would talk for hours, or he’ll let me watch videos or play games on his phone while he works, or we’ll watch Netflix together in the living room. Once we played a few games of Candyland together, where I insisted on being my own piece, he thought it was hilarious. 

He never once suggested introducing me to his husbands, which I was grateful for. Logan was too intimidating, even after hearing a bunch of embarrassing stories from Virgil, and Patton and Roman seemed much too loud and reckless. If I had to choose a human to meet, I was glad it was Virgil. 

But if one human knew it was only a matter of time before another one did. 

I hadn’t talked to Virgil today and had decided on just borrowing for myself and leave the man alone. The plate on the counter had a bunch of fruit, things like grapes and strawberries could go into my bag without a mess. So I began carefully placing the fruit in, making sure the skin didn’t break. Once the bag was filled I looked back to the plate and noticed a piece of cantaloupe that was bright orange and I could not resist. Making the same mistake I did all those weeks ago, I grabbed the piece, sat down, and began munching on it.

It wasn’t until the shadow came over me that I noticed a human had entered the kitchen. A shoe box was slammed over me before I could get my footing to run. Fuck, I was really bad at being a borrower. 

“So you’re what’s been making holes in the walls.” I recognized Logan’s voice above. Well shit.

The box moved and I was swept off the counter and onto a hard surface, before being roughly flipped over. Thankfully I didn’t land on my backpack or I may have been too angry about it being ruined to be scared. I didn’t want to start angrily yelling at a probably already frustrated Logan. 

Now sitting on the bottom of the box the thing now above was moved and I noticed it was a fairly large book. I was very thankful he decided on the shoebox and not on dropping that on me instead. 

Logan looked over me with a curious gaze while I looked around the box to see if there were any immediate escape route. There wasn’t, and I began thinking about calling Virgil for help. Would he hear me? Probably not, the office is too far for the quiet shouts to be heard. Guess I had to try and get out of the situation myself. 

The kitchen didn’t have normal hinge doors like most rooms, instead the doors were built into the walls and slid out. I never really minded they were there since I never used that wall for travel anyway, but I was suddenly despising them as Logan moved away from the box for a second and I heard them being slid into place. Whatever Logan had planned he didn’t want Virgil to hear.

Logan picked up the box and placed it on the kitchen table before sitting himself down in a chair. I yelped when his hand suddenly came into view and picked me up. Virgil never touched me, letting me go from place to place by myself. The grabbing suddenly reminded me of exactly why borrowers hid from humans, Logan didn’t see me as a person, he saw me as a pest.

“Curious,” He muttered, bringing me closer to his face and turning me over in his hand. 

“Le-Let me go!” I shouted, silently cursing my stutter and wriggling to get out of his grip. I was honestly a little surprised when he followed through with the request, and placed me back on the table. Though his hands weren’t gone for long as he began to lift my arms, “Would you stop?”

“What are you?” Logan inquired, tucking his arm under the other and leaning against the table. 

“A borrower,” I answered. I refused to look at him, instead I tried planning an escape route. There wasn’t any where I could run that Logan could probably immediately catch me, I doubt I could get my hook wedged into the table and climb down it fast enough to actually get away. Oh, and my backpack and hook were still in the shoebox, “Uh, Logan, can I have my bag back?”

Logan raised his eyebrow, “You know my name?”

“Oh- um.. yeah, y’know, it gets yelled across the house a lot.” I began to prod at the shoebox, I had no plan to actually attempt to get my backpack out but maybe he would get the message and pull it out for me. 

No such luck, “So how long have you been living here? Are there more of you?”

I sighed, plopping down with my back against the shoebox, “Two, almost three, years, I think, hard to tell time without a calendar. And, nope, only borrower there is.”

“In the house or in general?”

“I don’t feel comfortable answering that question,” I remarked, starting to pull on the edge of my shirt, a nervous habit.

“Fair enough, though I presume there are more of you out there, as you seem to be hesitant to answer and, logically, you must have had parents.” Logan stated. 

I glared at the table and pulled my knees to my stomach. God, I was stupid. Stupid, stupid borrower, can’t keep the borrower secret for shit. At this rate the entire world would know about borrowers and it’ll be all my fault. And now I’m crying, like an idiot. 

Tears were beginning to stream down my cheeks and I could feel my face burning red. I hastily tried wiping them away but they were quickly replacing themselves.

“Oh, um- don’t cry,” Logan said awkwardly, reaching his hand out to touch me before thinking better and pulling back again, “I’m sorry if I’ve frightened you, I have no intentions of spreading the information of your existence, if that helps.”

I laughed wetly, trying my best to calm myself from what definitely was an overreaction. Though it didn’t actually help much as my mind was still filled with intrusive thoughts which fueled my tears, which in turn fueled more intrusive thoughts in a vicious cycle.

“Please stop crying,” Logan pleaded, obviously at a complete loss of what to do in this situation. I knew Logan wasn’t the best equipped for my break down. I’ve heard him comment, “Emotions, the bane of my existence,” before and Virgil has told stories of his expansive knowledge in space and chemistry yet he couldn’t figure out his crush on the three of them until after Roman boisterously confessed. 

“I-I’m sor-ry,” I managed to choke out between unwanted sobs, “I-I just got a lot- a lot of things going on in my head, an-and this has kinda been an over- an overwhelming experience.”

“Un-understandable,” Logan said, sympathy laced in, “Is there something I can do to help? Would you like some water?”

I nodded, “Yes, please.”

Logan got up from the chair rather quickly and I flinched back. He didn’t seem to notice or didn’t feel the need to point it out as he reached the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He sat down a poured a little into the bottle cap before sliding it over with the tip of his finger. I waited till his hand was gone before taking the bottle cap in both hands and downing the entire thing. Honestly it had been a while since I had made a trip to the sink to get water, mostly relying on fruits and the juice Virgil was willing to share to keep me hydrated. I really was an overly spoiled borrower. 

With water in my system and a good minute to calm myself my eyes finally dried and I was able to take deep breaths once again. Logan carefully refilled the cap, “Better?”

“Yes. Thank you,” I answered, pulling my knees back towards me, “Now what?”

“What do you mean?” Logan tilted his head slightly in confusion.

“I’m the thing making holes that you set traps for,” I said into my knees, “I’m a pest, you probably want to get rid of me.”

“I set mouse traps for a mouse, I have no intentions of harming you now that I know you are capable of higher level thinking and we can discuss a compromise in our living situations,” Logan explained.

I blinked up at him, surprised, “Really? A compromise? No tossing me into the dumpster or squashing me with a book?”

“Goodness gracious, no!” Logan exclaimed, “What ever would have given you that idea.”

I shrugged, “There are a lot of horror stories about humans.”

“Well I assure you there will be none of that.”

“Okay, so.. Compromise! What are my conditions teach’?”


	4. Just a little chat with Logan.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to be a better borrower while still completely ignoring the Borrowing Code.

There were many things Logan and I discussed. 

He set up some conditions,

  * I was to tell him where every one of my holes were located and to discuss with him before making any new ones.
  * I was to tell him if any rodent was to come within the premise.
  * I was to check in with him at least once every two weeks to discuss the above and to ensure my safety.



Of course, I got my end of the deal,

  * The others were not to know of my existence.
  * Logan was to set out office supplies for me to borrow.
  * He was never to set traps without my permission and I had to know of every one and where they were placed.
  * An exterminator was only to be called in a state of emergency and I had to be given significant warning beforehand.



I never told Virgil I met Logan after that. I let my relationships with the two stay separate. I’m not sure why, but I did. 

Unlike Virgil, I didn’t plan on seeing Logan more than what was now required of me. Not that I didn't like Logan, once I got used to him he was actually a really nice guy. However, Logan was rarely home alone and I didn't want to be seen by Roman or Patton, or let Virgil know Logan had met me.

I still went to visit Virgil, but not nearly as often. I started borrowing more. I didn’t want to rely on Virgil and Logan for everything. I tried sneaking around Virgil for practice but it turned out he was mostly humoring me, so I did it with Logan instead, who was much more blunt if he saw me. 

“Hello Peter, why are you hiding?” Logan asked setting his pen down on the papers he was grading and setting them on the coffee table. He was sitting on the couch as he did his work.

“No reason,” I answered, waving him off as I stepped out from behind the mug, the closest I’ve gotten before being seen, “Anything you’d like to start with this meeting?”

“Let us get the business out of the way,” Logan stated, “Have you made any new holes in the walls?”

“No sir,” I answered with a wink.

Logan rolled his eyes but continued, “There has been no signs of mice or any other rodents?”

Logan absolutely despised mice, wanting nothing to do with them. Of course he completely accepting if someone choose to keep one as a pet, just as long as he does not have to be anywhere near it. That’s what he told me atleast.  “Nope.

“And you are physically fine? You have not sustained any injuries since the last I saw you?”

“Perfectly fine!” I exclaimed, wiggling my fingers for him to see, “Now, my turn: You have not told anyone of my existence?”

“I have not.”

“Good. And I noticed the paper clips you’ve set out, so thank you. And no new mouse traps or calls to an exterminator?”

“We discuss every meeting that I would not do either of those things unless I had reason to believe there were rodents within the household, yet you insist on asking each time.”

“You have your questions, I have mine. Now answer it nerd, or I will be forced to believe you have betrayed me and your new personal mouse detector will have to skip town.”

“It’s unlikely that you’ll ‘skip town’, as you are only four inches tall, at most you’d probably go a few houses down. But no, I have not, nor plan to, set up any mouse traps or call an exterminator without first speaking to you.”

“Why can't you let me use common human phrases without pointing out my height?” I pouted.

“Because they make no logical sense when you use them,” Logan replied with a smirk.

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” I groaned, flopping onto the stack of papers in exasperation.

Logan chuckled, “I get enough drama from my husbands, I don’t need you adding to it.”

I stuck my tongue out at him as I sat up. “So need any help doing your boring ‘grading papers’?”

“Unless you know AP Chemistry, I’m afraid not,” Logan answered, lightly swatting me off the stack.

“Oh, what a shame. I am unable to help. So sad. So tragic.” I placed the back of my hand on my forehead wistfully like I had once seen a woman on tv do while she was talking about her late husband. Logan rolled his eyes at me again.


	5. Peter gets stuck, but it's okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are is so much candy and cookies and snacks underneath the bed that Roman and Patton can't be missing anything Peter has been taking... right?

You would think after being found twice I would be more careful about when and where I’d borrower from. You would think wrong, apparently. 

Even with permission from Virgil to take what I pleased, and the fact I didn’t feel the need to hide my escapades from Logan for fear of traps, I still borrowed from the hidden snack stash underneath the bed. Which now had chocolates and licorice, as Virgil, had taken advantage of the secret I had shared with him and had the two added his favorites to it as well. 

The temptations of sugar was just too much to resist! 

Which is how I found myself stuck to a glue trap.

I guess Roman and Patton had, in fact, been noticing their treats going missing and had taken upon themselves to set traps as to not alert Logan of the pest problem and of the fact they were hiding snacks under the bed. Thankfully, I had managed to keep my balance and not fallen face first into the glue, but my feet were still stuck. 

This was a problem. There was no way of me getting out myself without assistance or becoming even more stuck, and I had no way of asking one of the two humans who knew of my existence for help. My only option was to wait for someone to come and find me, preferably Virgil, but that was unlikely as Virgil only ate from the stash every few days and Roman and Patton came just about everyday. I could only hope whoever found me wouldn’t immediately smash me or, worse yet, drown me in a bucket like you would a mouse. 

I didn’t have to wait long. Heavy footsteps made their way to the bedroom, ruling out Virgil and Logan as they tended to step lightly. Which means Patton or Roman were about to make an appearance… or they could just be grabbing something from the room and I could wait till one of the quieter men of the house came up stairs. 

And, for a second, I thought that maybe the person would actually leave. 

However, nothing ever turns out the way I want it because right before their footsteps exited the room once again there was a sudden exclamation of, “OH!” and I then had three seconds to steady myself before Patton’s face came into view. 

“Uh hey,” I said, sending him a little wave.

“Oh. My. Gosh,” Patton whisper yelled and I swear there were stars in his eyes. He began to reach his hand towards me. 

“Be careful! I tried very hard not to get the rest of me stuck and I’d like to keep it that way,” I said hurriedly, not wanting him to pull the trap and have me fall over. 

Patton hesitated and began chewing his lip in thought, “Mmm- Is it okay if I pick you up?”

“Oh- um..” No one had asked that. Virgil avoided touching me all together and Logan, while no longer grabbing me, tended to poke me or sweep me onto his palm as he pleased, though I rarely complained. Now here was Patton, asking me first. Not that I actually had much choice if I wanted out, “Yeah, it should be fine.”

Patton reached in again with a bit more care as he gently wrapped his fingers around my middle. He pulled me out with the trap hanging from my feet. “Are you okay?” He asked, worry in his voice as he adjusted himself into a sitting position.

“Yep, just didn’t see the trap until I couldn’t move,” I chirped, swinging my legs and the trap.

“Here, let me-” Patton tugged on the trap lightly, but nothing happened, “Um..”

“I think I’m gonna lose my shoes,” I sighed. Honestly, it’s what I deserve for being this stupid, “Can you hold me steady while I untie them? I don’t wanna fall on my face.”

“Oh! Uh- sure,” Patton set me and the trap down on the floor and pinched my waist lightly as I bent down. Making new shoes would be a pain but I definitely prefer this to starving to death in a glue trap. 

Once my shoes were untied and as loose as possible I stood up again, “Alright Patton, try pulling me out.” 

Patton carefully regripped my middle and held the trap steady with his other hand. A small tug later I was barefoot but free. Patton set me down a few inches from the trap, I didn’t look back at it, already mourning my lost shoes.

“You know my name?” Patton questioned, leaning back so, thankfully, he wasn’t looming over me.

I opened my mouth but before I could answer Roman’s voice carried up the stairs, “PATTON, DARLING, YOU ALRIGHT UP THERE?”

“Kinda hard not to,” I chuckled.

Patton flushed as he turned to the door, calling back, “PERFECTLY PEACHY, BE DOWN IN A MINUTE!” 

He didn’t alert Roman, so that was good. He also didn’t kill me, that was also good. This was probably a salvageable situation, I could get out of this with my secrecy, or at least what was left of it, in tact. 

“So..” Patton turned back to me, “You know my name, but I don’t know yours!”

“Peter. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Patton,” I said with a wink.

“I’m glad, I hope I didn’t bug up our first meeting too much,” Patton giggled. 

“Definitely could have been worse,” I replied. Could have caught me off guard in the kitchen for the third time, or trapped me in a shoe box, or left me in the glue trap. Patton was turning out pretty well. I haven’t had a panic attack, so that’s a plus.

“Are you hungry? That’s why you were helping yourself to the Super Secret Snack Stash?,” Patton asked. 

Technically, I was hungry, but I was only looking for a snack. I had fruit and crackers back at home that I had stored from Virgil yesterday in anticipation for today, as Patton and Roman both had off today. “A little.”

“Well, our candy is hardly a meal. Let me get you something a little more substantial.” Patton stood up. 

“Th-that’s really not necessary,” I stuttered, and then a thought struck me, “You’re not going to tell the others I’m here are you?”

“Don’t worry, I make Virgil food all the time, I don’t mind; and I won’t tell if you don’t want me too. You’ll be my little secret.” Patton reassured while extending his pointer finger and thumb out at the word ‘little’

“Not your best,” I deadpanned, having heard some of Patton’s patented ‘dad jokes’ through the wall plenty of times. He was capable of better. 

“Hmph. I’ll be right back.” Patton closed the bedroom door. I guess the polite thing to do would be to wait for him to come back with the snack he’s planning.

Or I could eat a cookie and then eat Patton’s snack...

I headed underneath the bed towards the cookie package.


	6. Peter makes a final decision.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life has been pretty great for Peter, especially with the added addition of Patton, but the only person in the house left that doesn't know about them is Roman. Patton wants Peter to meet everyone, but is that really an option? The Borrower Code says it's not.

Meeting Patton everyday for breakfast became a common occurrence after that. He always made Virgil’s snack in the morning and he never minded me popping in for a small bite of an apple or a peanut or whatever else he was preparing. 

“Peter, good to see you this morning!” Patton chirped as I stepped out from behind the toaster oven.

“It’s good to see you too, Patton.” I plopped down next to the plate he was making, wiggling my toes within my boots. Patton, the angel, had managed to remove my shoes from the trap after a quick google search. He returned them to me the first time I had stopped by for breakfast and I was eternally grateful, but I was also a greedy little shit, “What’s on the menu today?”

Patton giggled, “What in the world did you do before I started feeding you?”

“I fed myself,” I defended. I wasn’t going to let Patton think I was helpless.

“You ate cookies and candy,” Patton added, handing me half an apple slices. 

“You doubt my abilities Patton,” I exclaimed dramatically, “I’ll have you know that I am a borrower! And a borrower knows all the best places to get food, sugary and not.”

Patton gave me a confused look, so I continued, still dramatically, “I have been eating your snacks since you moved in, I just come for the conversation now.”

“Peter! Those are for Virgil!” Patton gasped.

I shrugged, “He never seems to mind. And I only take what I need! It’s the Super Secret Snack Stash where I take what I want.”

“Which you really should stop,” Patton chastised.

“I’ll stop when you stop,” I teased. 

“It’s different, the cookies aren’t as big as me,” Patton whined. 

“You’re just jealous you don’t get to experience giant cookies, aren’t you?” I replied. 

Patton pouted, “Maybe.”

I laughed as Patton’s ears turned pink in embarrassment. He finished with the snack and covered it with the plastic wrap, setting it aside. He washed his hands and, in an act of petty revenge, flicked water at me, a water droplet pelting me directly in the face and practically drenching me. Now it was Patton’s turn to laugh, which I returned, because alright, it was kinda funny. 

When our giggle fit ended Patton’s face softened, “Peter, you’d think you’d ever wanna meet my husbands?”

I stiffened. Patton didn’t know I knew Logan and Virgil, same as they didn’t know about the other, so it only made sense Patton would ask. Virgil never asked, waiting for me to be comfortable, and Logan was contractually obligated not to, but Patton only had a flimsy promise to keep it a secret. And Patton hates secrets. 

Still, it was my secret, mine to keep and keep safe. Borrowers weren’t supposed to be known by humans. Borrowers were supposed to move out at the slightest suggestion they were found out. Borrowers were only supposed to take what was needed. I had broken so many rules all ready. 

All that was left was Roman, and I couldn’t let him see me. If he saw me, there would be no point in pretending anymore. No more pretending I was, at the very least, a competent borrower. “I don’t know Patton, that sounds a little overwhelming.”

“We can start with one person! Virgil maybe? He seems a little scary, but he’s really a sweetie,” Patton tried to reassure, but it didn’t help. Starting with one person meant I had to confess they already knew, and I wasn’t ready for that either.

“I- I’ll think about it,” I sighed.

Patton broke into a grin like I had just promised Christmas early, “Yay!”

There was no way I was going to agree to Patton. There was no way I could pretend anymore.

I had to move out.


	7. Moving Day!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Peter procrastinates so hard they end up getting caught.

I was actually packed. Everything I needed filed away in my backpack and hand carry bag. The only thing left was to head two houses down back to my parents’ house. Only for a little, just so they know I’ve moved out and heading elsewhere. I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell them yet, certainly not the truth. Besides, I had lived a good few years by myself, I had a right to be proud of myself, even if I did end up breaking the borrower’s code and failing miserably at being invisible...

Yeah, not the time for those thoughts. 

One last bag check wouldn’t hurt. I had my hook, change of clothes, extra paper clips and string, two days worth of food, and my largest blanket. I looked back at my bed, which had been a dream bed of mine all my life, it was a mismatch nest of scrap fabric and socks that had fallen behind the dryer. It was perfect, and I was leaving it for the two old dishrags I had back in my old room. That is, if they hadn’t already been repurposed. 

Last moment to reminisce on all the zany adventures I’ve had. Meeting Virgil. Playing Candy Land. Logan trapping me in a shoe box. Getting stuck in a glue trap. Breakfast with Patton. The Super Secret Snack Stash-

Oh Super Secret Snack Stash, I was going to miss you the most! I was leaving behind a life of easily accessible sugary treats! 

Well, one last trip for a chocolate chip cookie wouldn’t hurt. I could bring some back for my sister, she’d love some. 

Okay, okay, one last trip to the Super Secret Snack Stash and I was out of the house. No one had to know.

I took a deep breath, waved goodbye to my wonderful stuff and headed through the corridors of the walls. My room was in the kitchen, a small space created by a panel of wood being nailed to the inside of a corner cabinet, making it a cozy triangle shape with a high ceiling. A dream home. And I was leaving it. 

I headed around the house and up to the top corner of the building were the bed was against the wall. The familiar trail only taking twenty minutes. Just pop in, take a cookie piece, and pop out. Leave the house and take the full day journey to my parents’. Easy-peasy.

I peered out my hole, looking around the floor to make sure there was no one within the room. The floor was empty of any people, but the chocolate chip cookies package was laying out in the middle of the room. 

Now, any smart borrower would have left the cookies alone, as there was obviously something fishy going on. However, it has been proven time and time again, I’m not the smartest borrower. Not that I’m stupid. I knew something was up, I just wasn’t willing to give up cookies. 

I waited and listened for any indication that one of the Sanders was in the room. I waited five minutes, ten, fifteen, twenty. Nothing moved. 

I took a deep breath and began to creep out from underneath the bed, leaving my backpack incase I needed a quick escape. I continued to look around the room. Still nothing, and the cookies were right there. I resisted the urge to sprint over, I didn’t like to be in the middle of the floor for so long but I couldn’t risk it being a trap or there being sticky tape around it. 

There were no strings attached to the package, no box hanging over it, no glue traps around it. The cookies were just sitting there.

Chewing my lip, I made it to the package and began to slowly peel back the top. It crinkled a lot more than I would have liked but so far I didn’t hear any footsteps rushing towards the door. 

Once I had the package open and was reaching for a cookie chunk on the bottom the bed rustled. I froze and began to slowly turn around to face the bed, but I only got a flash of red before something heavy and soft dropped on top of me. A blanket. Which was decidingly much worse than a shoe box. It created a much smaller space and was stuffier and claustrophobic.

There was a thud of feet hitting the floor, as whoever dropped the blanket on me got out of the bed. I struggled to crawl out of the fabric but it didn’t get far before it lifted and I was caught in a fist. 

“Why, hello there,” Roman chirped, holding me close to his face. 

Honestly, how did I not see this outcome. I sighed, “Hiya Roman.”

He gasped dramatically, “You know my name?”

“Pretty sure the entire neighborhood knows your name at this point, you four yell at each other a lot,” I pointed out. Roman’s fist was kinda tight and I started pushing on his finger to maybe loosen it a bit. Thank god for Logan and Patton’s physical contact or I would be freaking out right now with how Roman was holding me. I was at least a little used to giant fingers. 

Roman didn’t seem to notice my struggling, “Oh, well that’s fair. Do you have a name? Because if not-”

“Peter. My name is Peter,” I cut him off. I did not need to hear the end of that sentence.

“Hmph, well, Peter, what are you?” He asked uncurling his fist so he could poke me with his other hand.

“A borrower,” I answered, pushing at his finger, “Now if you’d just put me down, I’d be on my way.”

“Nonsense, you just got here, and I did not wait four hours on the bed doing absolutely nothing for you to just run away.” Roman said, gesturing to the bed, thankfully moving his finger away.

“You knew I was coming?” I asked. Fuck, did one of the others spill? Did they let Roman set a trap to meet me? They’re mad at me for making them lie to each other. What if-

“Well I knew something was taking my Triple Chocolate Chunk cookies,” Roman said, cutting off my train of thought, “Though I was not aware it was something so adorable!” He tapped the top of my head with his finger with a, “boop!”

“Wha- Hey! Stop poking me!” The touches were getting increasingly annoying.

“Oh, but you’re just so cute!” He exclaimed, poking me in the stomach, “My husbands are going to love you!”

SHIT. “Or maybe they’d hate me, we don’t know, probably safer to just let me go.” 

“Trust me, they’d definitely love you,” Roman attempted to reassure me, “I’ll show you.”

“You’ll WHAT?” I yelled, but it already too late as Roman cupped me in his hands and bounded out the bedroom and down the stairs before I could manage anymore protests.

“My lovelies! You are never going to guess what I just found!” Roman boasted. He was probably in the living room now, but he had his hand covering me and I couldn’t see anything. 

This was it. I was screwed. Defeated by my need for cookies and to procrastinate.

“I do hope that means you have been cleaning out your closet this entire time,” I heard Logan say. 

“One, that’s not fair, we share the closet-”

“We really don’t,” Virgil interrupted. 

“AND TWO! This is much better than anything in our closet!”

“Doubt it.” Virgil again. 

“Honestly, they’d probably take offense to that.”

“They?” Patton asked, worry straining his voice, “Roman, what did you find?”

“It’s not a what, but a who,” Roman answered.

Despite not being able to see anything I could still feel the tension that had suddenly stuffed up the room. Roman, however, didn’t seem to notice it at all as he held up his hands, “Darlings, I’d like you to meet a borrower.”

Roman uncovered me and as my eyes adjusted to the light I watched both Patton and Virgil stand from their places on the couch, Patton rushing over. 

“Oh Peter...” “Roman, put him down.” Patton and Virgil talked over each other.

Patton scooped me out Roman’s hand and I flinched. Oh god, this was it, they’d all realize I was lying to them and get mad and kill me. I really should have just left the cookies alone. 

“Peter, kiddo, you alright?” Patton asked, though I wasn’t paying too close attention to him.

“Wait, you all knew Peter was within the house?”

“You all knew and you didn’t tell me?!!”

“They asked me to keep it a secret, they weren’t ready to meet you all yet.”

“Patton, put him down-”

“Does- Does Peter use he/him pronouns? I have been applying she/her.”

“Oh, uh, well I never asked. I- Patton did you ask?”

“No, I’ve been using they/them. Peter, what pronouns do you- Oh, kiddo!”

I was shaking and I was holding back tears and I was tugging at my hair. Whatever conversation they had been having I had completely tuned out. There was no way I was getting out of this situation alive. I was trapped in a room with four humans that are definitely mad at me and are probably deciding that I have been much too much of a hassle. They were going to kill me. Smash me or throw me in the dumpster or suffocate me in a plastic bag or bury me in a box in the backyard.

Patton put me down on the coffee table and I braced myself for a book or something similar to be slammed over my head. 

A voice started speaking beside me, slow and soft, “Peter, breathe with me, in four seconds- two, three, four- hold seven seconds- two, three, four, five, six, seven- out eight seconds- two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight-”

The voice continued with the count until I was following along and breathing easier. When I looked up Virgil was sitting on the floor and giving me a small smile. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked around the rest of my room, the other three were standing a few feet away looking at me with concern, which was weird, because why were they concerned when they were going to kill me?

“Hey pipsqueak, you okay?” Virgil asked, leaning back against the couch. 

I nodded, pulling my knees to me chest. 

“That’s good. Can you tell me what happened? Was Roman too rough?”

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Roman open his mouth to defend himself but Patton shushed him. I shook my head, Roman was rough but I could handle it. What I couldn’t handle was dying, and worse, not knowing when they were going to kill me. Why was Virgil being so gentle? Why couldn’t he just get it over with and be done? Why did they have to drag it out.

“Okay, so it wasn’t Roman,” Virgil seemed lost, “So what is the matter?”

“You’re going to kill me, ” I said into my knees as I choked back a sob.


	8. In which the Super Secret Snack Stash is no longer a secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the confusion and panic is rectified and we end happily!

The room was rigid. Everyone was stalk still. Virgil gawked at me.

“We are NOT going to kill you,” Patton exclaimed suddenly, breaking the silence and causing me to flinch back. He stepped over to the table with light steps and sat criss cross next to Virgil. He looked sad, “What in the world made you think we would?”

“Because I made you- you all mad, and now you all hate- hate me, and-and humans get rid of things they don’t like,” I sobbed. 

“Kiddo,” Patton ended his sentence with a distressed groan. He looked ready to scoop me up into a hug, and, if I was being honest, I wouldn’t have minded. He instead, however, choose encouraging words over physical comfort, “Peter, none of us would ever do anything to harm you, at least not on purpose.”

“And we’re not mad,” Virgil added, “We’re confused is all. None of us are sure what’s going on.”

I took a few deep breaths, “You’re- you’re not mad?”

“Nu-uh!”

“Nope.”

“Not at all.”

“Well I’m a little ticked,” Roman answered, ignoring the various different looks he got from his husbands, “Not at you of course, I just wish someone would have told me about the real-life borrower living in the house sooner!”

“I wasn’t going to out a borrower, I’m surprised he stayed at all.”

“Peter asked me not to! I didn’t want to break their trust!”

“I was contractually obligated not to say anything.”

I stifled a giggle as everyone looked towards Logan. “You were ‘contractually obligated’?” Virgil asked. 

Logan blushed and looked to the floor, though he played it off as if he was just adjusting his tie, “While we had no actual documents, we had come to a verbal agreement that for as long as I kept her secret, she would alert me of any- erm- infestations within the house.”

“Which was a legitimate contract that now has to be fully revised in light of these new circumstances,” I piped up with a smile. 

Oh, wait, I’m supposed to be moving. Fuck. I can’t revise a contract. I shouldn’t be here in the first place! I should be out in the yard making the trek towards my childhood home. 

“That does make me wonder, however,” Logan said, not aware of my thoughts, “Was I the first to- um- find you?”

I sighed, “No, Virgil was first, then you, then Patton.”

“How did you approach Peter?” Virgil asked Logan.

Logan, this time, adjusted his glasses, “Well you see-”

“He slammed a shoe box over my head,” I interrupted, there was that damn smile again. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I was leaving soon. 

“LOGAN!” Patton exclaimed.

“She was eating Virgil’s food and it was the only guaranteed way of her not running off before I had a chance to speak with her,” Logan defended himself, “And how did you come across her, Patton?”

“I-” Patton hesitated. I snickered, the Super Secret Snack Stash was still super secret to Logan, “I didn’t slam a shoe box over them that’s for sure.”

Logan glanced at me, looking for my story, “I got stuck in a glue trap, Patton got me out.”

“Why were there glue traps?” He asked. 

“Oh, so that’s why you removed them!” Roman added.

“Wha- Why did you put down glue traps?”

Roman, Patton, and Virgil eyed me. I guess they expected me to out the Super Secret Snack Stash too, but nah, I like the Super Secret Snack Stash.

Roman covered it, “I had, foolishly, left some cookies in our room one day and when I had come back I had noticed some of them were missing. I did not want to alert you and enlisted Patton’s help in removing what I had thought was a mouse.”

Logan glared at him, “This is why we do not keep any food in the bedroom.”

I really couldn’t help it, I burst into a fit of giggles. Roman gave me a betrayed look, but I couldn’t stop. Logan looked confused for all but five seconds before gaining a stony expression and storming up the stairs.

My laughter stop abruptly and I held my breath to see how everyone would react. Shit, maybe they were mad at me now.

“No! Wait!” Roman called following after. 

Patton watched them til they were out of sight, “Uh-oh.” 

“Welp, Princey’s dead.” 

No one seemed to be mad at me.

“Should we go up there and help him?”

“I’m sure he can hold his own.”

“PATTON! VIRGIL! GET UP HERE!”

“Damn, he ratted us out.”

“Peter, would you like to come with us or wait here while we talk things out with Logan?” Patton held out his hand for me to climb on.

Oh, well, there was a bigger choice in that wasn’t there? One that I had to make quickly. 

I could let them go upstairs without me and return to the walls to leave the house tomorrow; or, I could step onto Patton’s hand and stay in the house, accepting any consequences that could come with, good and bad. 

I took a deep breath and stepped onto Patton’s hand, “I’ll come with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for supporting my super ultra self indulgent fic. This is the first time I've ever finished something so "big" and I'm super proud of myself for getting to the end. 
> 
> The one thing that is never cleared up is Peter's gender, he's genderfluid. I may add a second installment one-shot that goes through Peter talking it out and doing research with the Sanders to better understand his gender and pronouns, but for right now just know that he's an unaware genderfluid person and pretty androgynous.


End file.
